Tara Murray
The Sunbury Jets have locked in two key pieces as they look to go one better in the Big B state championship men’s competition.
Having locked in a number of key players late last year, the Jets have announced the re-signing of league most valuable player Ish Sanders and the new signing of Jordan Dickerson in recent weeks.
Coach John White said they were thrilled to have both on board for this year.
“We’re pretty happy to have Ish come back and play for us this year,” he said.
“He’s been back out in Australia for a couple of weeks and has been right back into it.
“He did a lot of work back home to get his body right for pre-season. Jordan just landed.
“He’s a seven foot, two inch centre for us and will be great for us.”
White said Sanders brings back plenty of motivation this season, as he and the team look to improve.
While Sanders won the league’s best player award, he struggled with injury through the grand final series against Wyndham.
“He had a week off and he was back into it,” White said. “He was back in the weights room and in the gym doing the work.
“There’s massive motivation for him. He’s always an impressive person to be around.
“We talk about talent on the court, but his leadership and that ability to affect the group is impressive.
“One of the first things everyone was asking was if he was coming back?”
Dickerson will add some height to the Jets line up. After a couple of years out of basketball, he’s keen to make an impact back on the court.
White said he had seen some tape of Dickerson and had been impressed with what he had seen.
“I had seen a few things and I did a bit more research,” he said. “He played in the top tier in Greece but for various reasons, had some time out of the game.
“He’ll be a massive addition, not just his stature and size.”
The two key additions to those of Nathan Baker, Trevor Clayton and Max Barkeley who have re-signed.
White said their first focus was to bring back as many players as possible for another title.
He said they were disappointed with how they finished up last season.
“There were a whole range of reasons,” he said. “It happened not through any fault of the group.
“The group was pretty banged up. They were an impressive group.”
White said they would look to run a big squad this season. They had brought in a few players from teams around the area to add in some extra depth.
While some more Sunbury talent will get their opportunities.
“We spoke about recruiting good people,” White said. “It was about the person before the skill set.
“We’ve added a few pieces and added a bit of youth to the group. We’ll be really athletic.
“We’ve brought in some guys from the youth league. A huge part for me when I took on the role was to provide a pathway.”
There hasn’t been much rest of White during the off season, as he’s been part of the Bendigo Spirit’s coaching staff.
He said there were some things he had learned which he had brought back to Sunbury with him.”
